Savage Ahsoka
by Exoclue
Summary: After the rise of the Empire Ahsoka needed to get off the grid. She chose a backwater jungle planet, allowing her to reconnect with nature and the force. However a hunting trip gone wrong forces her to face down her dark primal urges. Based on a piece of fanart by Ritualist


Ahsoka carried the two carcasses though the steaming jungle towards the village. After the rise of the empire she'd needed to drop off the radar. She'd found the perfect place, Caldio-VI-B, a jungle moon in the back end of the outer rim. Classified a death world due to its highly aggressive flora and fauna. No industrial activity or mineral wealth beyond the limited exports of exotic furs by the native Caldos who existed as a pre-industrial society. The off world population, clustered around the muddy field that passed as a space port was said to be about 100. When Ahsoka arrived it was closer to 60.

Still she thought as she entered the Caldo village, it could have been worse. These past four years had been pretty good considering. Life here was very much the life she would have lived on Shili. Though some of the creatures the Caldo's had to deal with made a Akul look like a minor nuisance. She waved to several of the native hunters as she passed. Still it hadn't been easy, they'd laughed at her when she'd first arrived, wanting to hunt. But she'd bulked up, learned to use her strength over the force. It was unlikely that anyone here would even know there was a price on her head but she never took the chance. At least in public. One of the reasons she did her best hunting along.

She nodded to Darro, the gate guard, as she walked past into the offworlder compound of the village. The chieftain had hoped the concession would bring advanced technology to his territory. Instead all he got were the occasional tramp freighter that friended his herds. Entering the decaying prefab that was Corr's bazaar/cantina and piled she piled the carcasses on the table. "What can you give me for them?" she asked. Corr examined the animals.

"Fang beasts, must have been a tough hunt to keep them so intact," he muttered.

"It was," she panted, unused to the air conditioned room.

"Afraid I can only give you 15 a piece for the pelts," Corr said.

"It was 20 only a few day ago," she pointed out.

"Yeah but my customer came in while you were in the jungle. The market is losing interest in furs from here," he explained, apologetically. Such news would hit everyone here hard. "You can still trade the rest normally," he noted.

"Fine," she said, accepting it as the will of the force. "Give me my usual rations and the rest on my account,". Republic, imperial she corrected, credits were worthless on Caldio unless you were buying stuff off world, or buying passage off it. So Corr also acted as the place's only bank. Everything else was done by bartering between each other or with the native Caldo.

"If it makes it better there is someone who wants to talk to you," Corr said, pointing to a new face drinking in a corner.

"What about?" she asked.

"Game hunting, what do you expect?" Corr said, polishing a glass. It would be Ahsoka thought. The only other thing beyond fur trading that brought people to Caldio was game hunting.

She approached the man's table. "I understand your looking for a guide," she said.

"I am," he said looking her over. "And certainly one so beautiful." Ahsoka smiled. The sheer heat of Caldio meant she spent most of her time wearing only a bikini, belt and bandolier. It wasn't much more than the Caldos wore anyway so no one commented. By comparison the man was sweating even in the cooler air of the cantina.

"And your name is?" she asked.

"Greer Marth," the man replied.

"So Greer, what brought you to Caldio?"

"This place is pretty much virgin territory. There's a lot of cred in being the first to bag a prize," he explained.

"I would point out the wildlife here is pretty deadly," she warned, Greer sounded like an amateur out of his depth. "What are your previous hunts?"

"Lead a rancor hunt on Felucia" Greer said. "Beyond that hunted acklay, krayt dragons and Rathtar and thats just the big name stuff. Even hunted some akul on your homeworld, Shili."

"Unfortunately I was raised off world," she said, that was actually true. "It seems you have the experience. But there are much better guides here. Perhaps one of the caldo?" she suggested.

"If its all the same I'd prefer an offworlder. I'm sure their good people but you here so many appalling stories about new species, especially the primitive ones," Greer said. She mentally recoiled at his casual xenophobia. She could end the conversation right there but she didn't need someone with an axe to grind poking around. Corr wouldn't react well either. They needed as much business as they could get.

"How much are we talking about?" she asked.

"Shall we say 300 a day? Plus a bonus for a good kill," Greer said.

"Alright Mr Marth. I think we have an agreement," she concluded getting up from the table.

"What strange weapons you have" Greer commented, pointing to the lightsabers on her hips. Ahsoka cursed internally. No one here knew what a Jedi looked like let alone a lightsaber and she'd gotten sloppy in carrying them openly.

"Plasma torches. Useful for cutting through hide," she lied quickly.

"You need plasma cutters to kill stuff around here?" Greer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really, but they certainly terrify any allies. Plus I like to get up close," she said.

"I look forward to see how you hunt. See you in an hour?" he said.

"Met you at the main gate," she said walking away. Now she had to work for him just to make sure he didn't get suspicious.

An hour later Greer walked up to where Ahsoka had been waiting. He'd changed out of his earlier clothes into a short sleeved safari suit and shorts. "You have quite a climate here," he commented, wiping the sweat from his brow. "How do you deal with it?"

"Do as the local do. Wear as few layers as possible," she said, getting up.

"I get what you mean," he said, examining her body. "But I couldn't allow for any indiscretion," he said, smiling.

"Have it you're own way," Ahsoka ignored the suggestion. "Want do you want to hunt?"

"Lets not race to the final hunt," he interrupted. "I want to get a lie of the land first. See what this world has to offer before I claim the biggest trophy. I'm sure you want your contract to last as long as possible." No I don't she thought but lets get this over with.

She made to lead the way. "You're not going out there with just that?" Greer asked amazed that she was carrying only a spear, topped with a durasteel blade. By comparison he was carrying a backpack of supplies and a customised blaster rifle.

"I hunt light. Makes it hard for them to know you're coming," she replied.

"Yeah but what do you end up killing?"

"I've killed things 3 times as big as you just with this," she gestured to the spear. His eyes widened in surprise. "What can I say," she laughed. "I like getting up and personal. And I have a blaster if I really need it," she padded the holster on her belt.

"You must use those plasma torches a lot," he muttered.

"Not as much as you think." She wished he would forget about those.

Despite his experience Greer was nervous as they walked though the jungle. Swinging his gun towards every rustle in the undergrowth or startled bird in the canopy. "You don't need to be so paranoid," Ahsoka said calming walking in front.

"I thought this place was supposed to be lethal?" he said looking around. "I was expecting to be attacked by something by now." She smiled and changed their path to go on the other side of the tree up ahead.

As they passed the tree, a trunkclaw burst out of its burrow. Before Greer could even flinch Ahsoka snatched it out of the air as it jumped towards them. The creature scrabbled in her hands for a second before she broken its neck. "This place is full of death. Its just I'm good at avoiding it" she said tossing it aside. There was little eatable meat on it and even the claws on it were worthless.

"You really are a good guide then," Greer muttered.

"The best you could buy," she admitted. Even the best guides of the Caldo marvelled at her ability to navigate the jungle. Then again she did have the force on her side. She felt a slight pang of retreat for having to kill the animal but Greer did deserve a put down.

"I noticed that I'm the only one who brought a sleeping roll," Greer said as they carried on.

"You'll find you won't need it in this heat," she said.

"True but it certainly would more comfortable. And there is place in my roll for another," he said smiling wryly. Ahsoka smirked at the blatant offer.

"I'm afraid that would be extra," she said. She'd lost her innocence long before she'd came to Caldio. Turns out a young Togruta dancer was a good way to move around the galaxy with few questions being asked. Especially if certain services were performed for those that did.

"Whatever it is I'm willing to pay," Greer said. Suddenly the ground around them exploded.

"What is it?" he asked asked as a massive creature rose from the earth. Ahsoka cursed out loud. It was a wormator, one of the biggest predators on Caldio. One of them could destroy an entire Caldo village. She should have sensed it, instead of being distracted by Greer trying to get into her pants.

"Trouble!" she said, leaping back to get away from its thrashing, tentacle like limbs. Needing no encouragement Greer, did the same, firing his blaster as he retreated.

The blaster shots splashed across it's hardened scales. Enraged, the creature roared and rose up on its hind limbs. "Shoot its underside!" Ahsoka suggested. Greer fired again, a large high energy shot. The wormator screeched as the shot hit home.

Then it charged them.

Ahsoka jumped into the tree above them, but Greer was pinned by the beast. He screamed as the wormator's fang-filled maw closed around his arm, crushing his rifle to bits. With only moments before Greer was consumed, Ahsoka dropped from the tree, plunging her spear into the monster's back. The wormator dropped Greer, spinning around trying to throw her off as she drove the spear deeper. But her aim had been flawed, and she could feel the blade cutting into a rib. As she tried to pull the spear free the creature was able to hurl her against a tree. She rolled away as the animal crushed the space she had just been.

She looked around as the wormator circled her. Greer against all the odds was still conscious, clearly stunned and bleeding heavily but shifting towards his backpack which had come off in the fight. He was out of his fight. Her spear was still stuck in the back of the wormator but getting it free would be tricky and her blaster pistol wasn't going to be much use. Karabast. The only way they were getting out of this was by doing the one thing she really didn't want to do. But it was the only way.

Unhooking her lightsabers, she charged the beast. As it came to meet her she jumped over it, igniting one of the blades to slice apart the arm that attempted to grab her. Hitting the ground, she slashed both blades into the creatures neck. Its remaining arm attempted to grab her. She felt the claws touch her as she sliced it way. The creature screamed in agony and tried to pull away, but she pushed her attack though, slicing into its belly. Blood sprayed as internal organs ruptured. The wormator made one last sickening cry and collapsed onto its side, dead.

"Oh god!" Greer said, his unwounded hand still scrabbling towards his fallen pack. "You're one of those Jedi freaks!" Ahsoka stood over him, lightsabers ignited, taking great gasps of air. Her secret was out now. She felt blood – hers or the creature's, she didn't know – running down her arm and tightened her grip on the lightsaber and stepped towards him. "No, please! I won't tell anyone," Greer pleaded. A lie, she could tell. No way he would stay quiet. He would bring the empire here. Here to kill her. It be so easy to say that Greer died of his wounds. All she had to do was strike.

There was a hiss as the blood boiled as it touched the lightsaber, staining the beam for a second a dark red. "No!" Ahsoka screamed. Stabbing the tree next to her cutting it almost in half. How easily she had almost given into her fear. Survival was not worth failing to the dark side. "No, I am a Jedi," she said deactivating the sabers and reaching over to the pack and fishing out the medkit. "But I am not your enemy."

"I thought you were going to kill me," Greer admitted as she tended to his wounds. His arm was broken and his would probably loose the hand but he would live. Assuming no untreatable infections.

"I was. But I've realised I was going to make a mistake," she said. Greer jerked slightly at the admission.

"What do you want?" he asked weekly. "If its credits I can pay it."

"I have little need of credits," Ahsoka pointed out. "But there is something you can do for me."

"What?"

"Your ship. I want passage on it. you're not going to be able to fly it by yourself with this injury." Greer simply nodded in agreement as she pulled his sling tight.

"I'm cashing out my account," she said when she entered Corr's after the brutal journey back to the village. She'd changed in the clothes she'd had when she'd arrived. They barely fit her any more but outside of Caldio her usual outfit would be considered scandalous so she'd settle for just being revealing.

"I heard what happened to Greer. Taking out a wormator alone is some feat," he commented, moving over to the safe to withdraw the credits. "I also hear you're going off world with him." Ahsoka smiled, news travels fast sometimes.

"Don't worry, I haven't fallen for him," she said in case he thought it was somekind of whirwind romance. "I'm just taking him to the nearest system with a hospital. His wounds are already showing signs of infection."

"And after that?" Corr said, handing over her credit chips. "Or am I to take it you're really leaving for good?"

"I think its time for me to move on," she admitted.

"We'll be sorry to see you go. You've been a good face to have around here," he admitted, scrubbed at a stubborn stain on the counter to hide his disappointment.. Corr had always had a soft spot for her even if he rarely showed it.

"Thanks Corr," Ahsoka said, looking up at a crude painting of the galaxy hanging above them. "But for the last four years I've been pretending that the galaxy doesn't exist. I've realised I can't keep avoiding it any more."

"How long do you think you will be gone?" he asked, pretending that she was coming back.

"I'm not sure," she said leaving the cantina, never to return.


End file.
